| Unemployment - The Rhetoric of Disinformation | | | | Existing Unemployed Workers Organizations |
| I have been studying the US Bureau of Labor Statistics | | | | There are community-led efforts underway in Indiana, |
| reports on January and February unemployment. Each | | | | Pennsylvania and Maine to organize the unemployed. In |
| month they issue a six page press release. After | | | | February 2009 Tom Lewandowski, a laid off |
| spending several hours studying these releases, the | | | | electrician, founded the Unemployed and Anxiously |
| only conclusion I can draw is that the government is | | | | Employed Workers Initiative (UAEWI). The group was |
| deliberately misleading people about US joblessness. | | | | instrumental in passing state legislation to replenish |
| The first paragraph of the March 10, 2010 release | | | | Indiana's unemployment insurance fund and |
| states that non-farm payroll employment was | | | | appropriating $16 million for job retraining programs. At |
| "essentially unchanged" - as only 36,000 jobs were lost | | | | present they are demanding a voice in how these |
| (following a loss of 20,000 in February. In then states | | | | funds are spent - via a seat on the Northeast Indiana |
| that this loss of 56,000 jobs resulted in a net decline in | | | | Regional Workforce Board. |
| the official unemployment rate from 10.0 to 9.7 percent. | | | | In 2002 former UNITE organizer Jack McKay |
| This is because people are only counted as | | | | organized laid-off workers in Maine to form Food AND |
| unemployed if they actively searched for work in | | | | Medicine (FAM) - largely in response to a mass |
| February. This means about 2.5 million people who | | | | exodus of manufacturing jobs from eastern Maine. |
| haven't worked in over a year aren't counted in the | | | | FAM began as a health care advocacy organization |
| official unemployment rate if they didn't look for a job | | | | for low income and unemployed workers who were |
| last month. | | | | forced to make a choice between buying groceries or |
| The press release concedes that the total number of | | | | paying for doctors' visits and prescriptions. paying for |
| individuals unemployed for longer than 12 months is up | | | | health care or paying for food. It continues to lobby for |
| 500,000 over February 2009. It also points out that the | | | | universal health care and workers rights legislation, |
| number of "involuntary" part time workers (individuals | | | | including and the Employee Free Choice Act - a |
| unable to find full time jobs or with recent cutbacks in | | | | federal bill that would amend the Labor Relations Act |
| their hours) increased by 500,000 in February. | | | | to speed up and simplify the process of forming a |
| What I find interesting is if you add the official number | | | | union. FAM has also formed a cooperative with area |
| unemployed (14.9 million), to the 2.5 million permanently | | | | farmers to provide affordable, locally grown food to its |
| unemployed and the 8.8 involuntary part-timers, you | | | | members. |
| come out with a total unemployment rate closer to 20 | | | | The Philadelphia Unemployment Project (PUP) is even |
| percent - or one fifth of the civilian work force. | | | | older, formed during the mid-1970s OPEC recession. |
| Unfortunately the mainstream media doesn't consider | | | | Aside from working on employment related issues, |
| these figures when they report on unemployment. | | | | PUP also represents homeowners facing foreclosure. |
| Instead they point to the 0.3 percent improvement in | | | | Their efforts led the Philadelphia courts to establish a |
| unemployment since December 2009 (which actually | | | | program in April 2008 requiring lenders to participate in |
| reflects people who have stopped looking for work) | | | | mediation with homeowners seeking to renegotiate |
| as proof the US economy is beginning to recover. | | | | their mortgage payments. An initial survey shows they |
| They also point to fractional (0.2%) in the GDP over | | | | prevented foreclosure among 80 percent of |
| the last few months. The problem with using GDP as | | | | homeowners who participated. |
| an indicator of economic recovery is that it's mainly | | | | Where is the AFL-CIO? |
| based on business and corporate earnings. And the | | | | The support offered by the AFL-CIO to these fledgling |
| main strategy businesses used to increased profitability | | | | jobless organizations - a resource website and wiki - is |
| last year (in a severe recession) was to downsize and | | | | token support at best. The website "Working America" |
| lay-off workers (thus increasing unemployment). | | | | was launched in April 2009 to help struggling families |
| The Unemployed as a Pressure Group | | | | track down local resources, such as benefit |
| The implications of a true unemployment rate close to | | | | entitlements, retraining, child care and food banks. |
| 20 percent are staggering. With one out of every five | | | | While an excellent resource, it is really disappointing to |
| Americans unemployed, there is enormous potential for | | | | see the AFL-CIO take on a social work role and |
| the rebirth of the unemployed workers movement | | | | neglect a critical organizing opportunity. Their current |
| active during the Great Depression. Its main role would | | | | efforts fall far short of the support the unemployed |
| be to fight for crucial reforms the Obama | | | | movement received from organized labor in the 1930s. |
| administration refuses to address. According to a | | | | During the Great Depression it was local union activists |
| number of social historians, it was mainly America's | | | | - the efforts of the United Auto Workers and the |
| success in organizing the unemployed that pushed | | | | Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) are the best |
| President Roosevelt to enact wide reaching New Deal | | | | described - who organized the unemployed. It's |
| reforms - a significant package of legislation that for | | | | obviously in the self-interest of unions to organize the |
| the first time benefited ordinary workers rather than | | | | jobless. With an immense pool of potential scab labor |
| business interests. | | | | desperate enough to cross union picket lines, the ability |
| Even before the advent of giant multinational | | | | of workers to strike for higher wages and better |
| corporations, merchants and businesses have always | | | | working conditions evaporates. Employers know this, |
| had far more influence over the federal government | | | | of course, which makes significant gains (in wages or |
| than ordinary citizens. In fact close examination of the | | | | working conditions) impossible during a period of high |
| US Constitution reveals our founding fathers meant our | | | | unemployment. In fact many employers take |
| government to be set up this way. They deliberately | | | | advantage of a recession to demand substantial |
| created a government structure that would favour | | | | "claw-backs" (reduced wages and benefits, longer |
| business. In fact with the important exception of | | | | hours, less favorable working conditions). |
| Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin, many of them admit | | | | Organized labor is already significantly weakened |
| this in their writings about the first Constitutional | | | | thanks to an aggressive union bashing strategy |
| Convention. | | | | pursued under Ronald Reagan and both Bush |
| No One is Born with Rights | | | | administrations. The "claw-backs" resulting from a long |
| Many Americans mistakenly believe they are born with | | | | period of unemployment could cause organized labor |
| inherent "rights" as a condition of US citizenship. Nothing | | | | to lose any voice in the US political process. |
| could be further from the truth. People must win their | | | | What the AFL-CIO Could (and Should) Do |
| rights by fighting for them. Corporations have a vested | | | | What is needed from the AFL-CIO is paid organizers |
| interest in opposing reforms that might potentially | | | | working out of union locals to reach out to laid off |
| affect their profitability. As a result the US government | | | | union members and other unemployed workers - and |
| has never granted popular reforms - in health care, | | | | training them how to organize and lobby collectively for |
| education, work and food safety, environmental | | | | jobs creation legislation, universal health care and |
| protection or voting rights for women and African | | | | protections against foreclosure and eviction if they fall |
| Americans - simply because it was the right thing to | | | | behind in their mortgage payments. |
| do. Without exception, every reform benefiting working | | | | There is already a strong tendency for Americans to |
| people, including the 40 hour work week (in 1900 | | | | blame themselves when they lose a job. Thus an |
| people worked 72 hour weeks), the minimum wage | | | | essential component of the outreach process is helping |
| and the abolition of child labor - has been won by the | | | | them understand that their situation stems from major |
| long hard work of grassroots organizing. | | | | flaws in the current US political and economic system - |
| At present corporate interests (such as health | | | | as opposed to some personal failing. Unfortunately the |
| insurance and drug companies worried about their | | | | Working America website conveys a somewhat |
| profit margins) seem to carry far more weight with our | | | | paternal, condescending attitude in the way it |
| new president than the American people. However a | | | | dispenses advice. Instead of empowering the jobless |
| robust unemployed workers' union would force | | | | to organize for major changes in a financial system |
| Obama to redirect his attention from the wars in the | | | | that rewards recklessness, irresponsible speculation |
| Middle East to critical issues that prevent millions of | | | | and greed, this type of paternalism tends to be quite |
| Americans from seeing real evidence of economic | | | | disempowering - mainly because it reinforces a jobless |
| recovery in their everyday lives. | | | | worker's underlying sense of personal failure. |